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Whether you’re traveling for work or taking a long-awaited vacation, make sure your information stays secure with these tips from ITS.

1.  Set an out-of-office email

As a working professional, it is important to set an out-of-office email if you will be away from your email for one or more days. This is a very simple process and only takes a few minutes to set up. Doing this will help your clients, customers, and colleagues set an expectation of when you will respond. This is especially important if you have people who may inquire with you about emergency issues. Setting up an out-of-office email will allow those who try to contact while you’re away to notice that you will not arrive back at work until the time you specify. This is done through sending an automatic email.

Follow these steps to set up your out-of-office email:

Outlook:

1. Select File > Out of Office
2. In the Automatic Replies box, select “Send automatic replies.” You can also optionally set a range of dates for the automatic replies to take place. If a date range is set, automatic replies will turn off at the date and time you entered. If you do not set a date and time range for automatic replies, then automatic replies will need to be turned off manually.
3. Select “OK” to save your settings.

Gmail:

1. On your computer, open Gmail.
2. Select Settings
3. Scroll down to the vacation responder section.
4. Select Vacation responder on
5. Fill in the date range, subject, and message.
6. You have the option to select if you only want your contacts to receive your vacation message. If you would like this, then check the box and select Save Changes. If not, leave the box de-selected and select Save Changes.

(You can also set vacation response on Android and iPhone Apps. Instructions will vary slightly.)

2.  Set a delegate to receive your emails while you’re away

If you would rather not set up an out-of-office email while you’re away and have the emails you receive forwarded automatically to a delegate instead, below are instructions on how to do that. One benefit of setting a delegate instead of out-of-office email is that the email sender will not have to go the extra distance to get the assistance they may need right away. Their email will instead be automatically forwarded to someone who can answer their questions or solve their problem. Note that once you add a delegate, they stay a delegate until you manually remove them as delegate.

Follow these steps to set a delegate:

Outlook:

Mac:

1. On the Tools menu, select Accounts.
2. Select the Exchange account that you will use to access the delegated items, select Advanced, and then select Delegates.
3. Under People I am a delegate for, select Add (plus button).
4. Type the name of the person who added you as a delegate.
5. Select the person’s name in the search results, and then select Add.

Windows:

1. Click the File tab.
2. Click Account Settings, and then click Delegate Access.
3. Click Add. If Add doesn’t appear, an active connection might not exist between Outlook and Exchange. The Outlook status bar displays the connection status.
4. Type the name of the person whom you want to designate as your delegate, or search for and then click the name in the search results list.
5. Click Add, and then click OK.

Note: to remove a delegate from your Outlook email, simply follow the same steps outlined above just change the Add button to Minus for removal.

Gmail:

Add a delegate:

1. Open Gmail (you can’t add delegates from the Gmail app)
2. In the top right, click Settings.
3. Click Settings
4. Click the Accounts and Import or Accounts tab
5. In the “Grant access to your account” section, click Add another account. Note: If you’re using Gmail through your work or school, your organization may restrict email delegation. If you don’t see this setting, contact your admin.
6. Enter the email address of the person you want to add. (Note: The account you’re delegating must have “Require user to change password at next sign-in” disabled.)
7. Click Next Step > Send email to grant access.
8. The person you added will get an email asking them to confirm. It may take up to 24 hours for you to see them as a delegate after they confirm.

Note: The invitation expires after a week.

Remove a delegate:

1. On your computer, open Gmail. You can’t set up delegates from the Gmail app.
2. In the top right, click Settings.
3. Click Settings
4. Click the Accounts and Import tab
5. In the “Grant access to your account” section, click Delete next to the account you want to remove.

More Information on what a delegate can and can’t do.

Can do:

• Send or reply to emails that were sent to you. When they send a message, their email address will show. For example the sender will show as “sent by johnsmith@gmail.com.”
• Read messages sent to you.
• Delete messages sent to you.

Can’t do:

• Chat with anyone for you
• Change your Gmail password.

3.  Take caution when using public WiFi

These days, public WiFi is almost everywhere. From the local coffee shop, to the gym, and to the airport. We live in a world where people feel the need to be constantly connected, so having access to WiFi almost everywhere we go is a great thing. Public WiFi is convenient and tempting to use especially while traveling when your private network is out of reach. However, using public WiFi poses certain security risks to your personal information. If you must connect to public WiFi, here are some helpful tips to keep in mind and help you keep your information safe.

When possible, connect to a secure public network

In order to best protect your information in a public place, try to connect to a secure public network whenever possible. However, if it is not possible to connect to a secure public network and only unsecured networks are available, make sure the network has some sort of login or registration before you’re able to use it.

Make sure you are on an encrypted HTTPS

It is easy for people to watch what you’re doing when you browse over unencrypted HTTP, however, with encrypted HTTPS, you can be on the same Wi-Fi network as others and, since HTTPS is encrypted, they won’t be able to see what you’re doing to snatch your sensitive information. About a year ago, Google Chrome started letting you know when you’re visiting a site that uses an HTTP instead of an HTTPS connection by labelling the latter as “Not Secure.” ITS advises you to make sure you take this warning seriously.

Use a Virtual Private Network

Of course, the most effective way to protect your information while on public Wi-Fi is to install a Virtual Private Network (VPN). VPNs encrypt data traveling to and from your laptop or phone, and hooks you up to a secure server.

Technology is constantly changing and with this, comes the nearly impossible task of keeping your systems up-to-date and running smoothly, all while tending to the daily maintenance requests of your team. Many businesses and schools decide to push their IT team to try to keep up with all IT needs, but this often results in an overextension of the team. The danger with and overextended IT team is the risk of scrambling to solve the microscopic problems such as those submitted in the form of helpdesk tickets, that they fail to notice the larger, more macroscopic problems. This, in turn, will eventually result in an eruption of frustration among employees when their tech products aren’t running as they should.

This is where ITS can help…

ITS can assist your current IT team or even make up your entire IT team, and ensure that your business or school never overlooks the big problems, your information stays safe, and your operations team, efficient.

With many clients to serve, how do we provide exceptional service to each and every one of them?

ITS accomplishes this in our ability to remotely and proactively monitor and support your networked devices. This is done with the help of an appliance named “BOB” (The “Backup and Observation Box”), which is installed on your network as the eyes and ears of any problems that could arise on your devices and processes. With BOB‘s help, ITS can offer support and data backup 24 x 7 x 365.

Our management services:

ITS offers a wide variety of options when it comes to managed IT services. The configuration of managed services can differ depending on the needs of the business/school. In other words, we can be as involved as you would like us to be. The configuration of services we provide to each business or school is unique. Our service packages are completely customizable and are designed to support your network, devices, staff, and students to keep your business or school performing ahead of the curve.

Managed IT services are a cost-effective way to ensure your business or school stays up-to-date in it’s technology needs and allows your personal IT team (if you have one) to focus on managing the microscopic problems that may arise in your business/school; keeping your operations running smoothly and employees’ frustration with technology at bay.

I’m sure we can all agree. Technology is a great tool for our businesses and schools. It can make our lives easier in so many ways. However, there is a problem with information technology that can’t really be fixed. This is the problem of how easy it is to take advantage of someone over the internet. While this dilemma can’t be fixed or stopped completely, there is a way for you to protect your business, school, and/or your employees from being susceptible bait to criminal’s phishing emails. 

So what is Phishing?

Phishing is the fraudulent practice of sending emails with the purpose of stealing sensitive information. This can happen by fraudsters sending an email with malicious links or attachments, or by outright asking for sensitive information or payment through the email text. Phishing is usually accomplished by the fraudster impersonating a trusted 3rd party. Unfortunately, the most common place for phishing to occur is in the workplace where sending and receiving emails happens so regularly, so often, and to so many people, that a spoofed email is easily overlooked. As an additional threat, when you receive email on a mobile device it often doesn’t show the whole email address of the sender. When this happens, you may only be able to see the contact’s name. If the fraudster is impersonating a trusted 3rd party, a phishing email can go unnoticed.

How are you a target?

As a working professional in a business or school, you may have access to a lot of sensitive information or have a company credit/debit card that puts you at a higher risk for accidentally exposing sensitive information or satisfying the fraudster’s request. In day to day duties, you may also frequently perform tasks in which you are required to enter personal or sensitive information. Opening spoofed emails or clicking malicious links could be the beginning of the road for fraudster tracking down that sensitive information and you may not even be aware that it is happening. This alone is reason enough to make sure you act proactively in preventing a security breach from happening in your business or the business your work for.

What you can do:

Our solution to combat this problem is to configure an external sender warning. This warning will appear ahead of the subject line every time an email is received from a source originating outside the specified domain. An external sender warning can be established for everyone within your domain. This will alert the user to a potential phishing threat. This warning will allow the user to use their own discretion when opening emails and serve as a reminder to take extra precautions when reading/opening an email with an external sender warning.

ITS advises you set this up (we can even help you) through your Gmail, Office 365, and/or Hosted Exchange settings. We recommend you take our advice as it will give you, your business/school, and your employees an extra layer of protection against a phishing scam.

The April 9, 2019 Windows Update is sending users into a login-loop or intermittent freezing. You may be able to use System Restore to move your machine back to a restore point before this Windows Update was installed (update KB4493472)

Do a System Restore

Turn off your computer. Count to 38.

Find the F8 key on your keyboard. Be prepared to press it quickly and repeatedly.

Turn on your computer, while quickly and repeatedly pressing the F8 key.

Choose to boot into “Safe Mode with Networking”

Go to the Start Menu–> All Programs –> Accessories –> System Tools –> System Restore –> Next. This allows you to view a list of restore points. See if there is a date available from before the installation of this Windows Update. (This Update was released on April 9)

If you are able to perform a System Restore, you will then need to follow instructions for hiding this Windows Update.

How Do I Block The Update?

Go to the Control Panel–>Windows Update. A link indicates that there are updates available for install. Click the link to view the updates, and look for the bad update. (KB4493472). Right click on update KB4493472 and “hide” the update.

If there is not a good System Restore date available, you will need to follow instructions for removing the Windows Update.

ITS is seeing many Windows 7 clients with spinning wheels, blue screens, stuck on a login loop and other tell-tale signs of a bad Windows Update from the April 9, 2019 release.

Which update is causing issues?

KB4493472 (Learn more about this specific update from Windows)

How do I get my computer going again?

Generally, booting into safe mode has been successful, and then removing the bad update. (See more about booting into safe mode). You can also do a Systems Restore.

How do I Remove the Bad Update?

We usually see computers stuck at the login screen. Do a hard shut down if you are at this screen.

After shutdown, count to 38, or your favorite number above 30. Turn on your computer – as it was shut down improperly, it should prompt you with a set of options on how to proceed.

(If you were simply taken back to a login screen and are stuck again, you will need to boot in safe mode by utilizing the F8 key)

When you are presented with your boot choices, choose “Safe Mode with Networking.” When your computer loads, go to Control Panel–>Programs and Features–>View installed updates. Loading the list of installed updates can take several seconds – watch the progress bar at the top of the screen.

Use the search box in the upper right corner to find “KB4493472”. Right-click on this update and choose “uninstall”. You will be prompted to click “yes” two times – once to uninstall and once to reboot.

Your machine will reboot twice. After the second reboot, login as normal.

How Do I Block The Update?

Go to the Control Panel–>Windows Update. A link indicates that there are updates available for install. Click the link to view the updates, and look for the bad update. (KB4493472). Right click on update KB4493472 and “hide” the update.

How Long Should I Leave This Blocked?

We will watch for official news from Windows but would recommend leaving this update hidden until a new update is released.

What If I Have Managed Updates?

If your updates are managed by ITS, we have not released this update and some of these settings are blocked for you. We test new Microsoft Updates over the course of a week before releasing them to end-users or blocking the update to wait for a better release.